Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-22
2001-05-29
Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With vehicle
C343S767000, C343S771000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239757
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication module for a means of transportation, and more particularly to a communication module which is used for measurement of the distance and/or the relative speed between a means of transportation such as an automobile, a vessel or the like and another means of transportation ahead or behind, or for communication between means of transportation.
2. Description of Related Art
Now, an automobile is given as an example of means of transportation. A communication module is provided in the front or the rear side of an automobile in order to measure the distance and the relative speed between the automobile and another automobile ahead or behind. The communication module comprises a Gunn oscillator, a circulator, a directional coupler, a mixer and an antenna. For a high performance communication system, an antenna which has a high directivity and a large gain, that is, an antenna with large dimensions is required to reduce the S/N ratio (signal-to-noise ratio) and the C/N ratio (carrier-to-noise ratio). Accordingly, the communication module occupies a large area of the front or the rear side of an automobile, which ruins the appearance of the automobile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a thin communication module for a means of transportation which causes substantially no changes in the appearance of the means of transportation.
In order to attain the object, a communication module for a means of transportation comprises: a millimeter wave integrated circuit section comprising two conductive plates arranged parallel with each other, and a dielectric stripline and an electric element disposed between the conductive plates; and a plane antenna section comprising two conductive plates arranged parallel with each other, a dielectric stripline disposed between the conductive plates, and a slot made in one of the conductive plates; and the millimeter wave integrated circuit section and the plane antenna section are disposed on a back side or inside of an identification plate of the means of transportation such that at least respective one of the conductive plates of the millimeter wave integrated circuit section and the conductive plates of the plane antenna section are integrated in a plane, the identification plate transmitting a millimeter wave with a small loss.
The identification plate is made of polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, polypropylene reinforced with glass fiber, ABS resin or the like.
When the communication module which is disposed on the front side or the rear side of a means of transportation is used as a radar, a millimeter wave propagated from the millimeter wave integrated circuit section is emitted from the plane antenna section and passes through the identification plate. When the millimeter wave reaches another means of transportation ahead or behind, the millimeter wave is reflected by the means of transportation and comes back to the identification plate. Then, the reflected millimeter wave passes through the identification plate and enters the plane antenna section.
The communication module also can be used as a means of communication. In sending information, the information is converted into a millimeter wave in the millimeter wave integrated circuit section, and the millimeter wave is emitted from the plane antenna section. The millimeter wave passes through the identification plate and is received by an antenna section of a communication module mounted on another means of transportation ahead or behind. In receiving information, a millimeter wave emitted from an antenna section of another means of transportation ahead or behind passes through the identification plate and is received by the plane antenna section. The communication module may be a type which either sends or receives information as well as a type which both sends and receives information.
Since at least a respective one of the conductive plates of the millimeter wave integrated circuit section and a respective one of the conductive plates of the plane antenna section maybe integrated in a plane, the communication module can be assembled as a thin type. Further, the communication module is disposed on a back side or inside of an identification plate of a means of transportation and hardly shows on the surface of the means of transportation.
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K. Maamria, et al., Leaky NRD Guide as a Feeder for Microwave Planar Antennas,IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 41, No. 12, pp. 1680-1686, Dec. 1993.
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Ishikawa Youhei
Tanizaki Toru
Le Hoang-anh
Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Phan Tho
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